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How's Your GAYborhood ?


jjkrkwood
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Certain Neighborhoods are highly concentrated with Gay residents, like Chelsea in NYC. If you are Gay yourself, you might find this highly desireable, and seek to live in such an area.. Another train of thought is that its too excessive, tempting, and Slutty, and that sex is happening all the time....and you like a quieter enviornment

 

Tell us about YOUR Gayborhood, its gay quotient, and if its your desire to live somewhere else, and Where ?

 

 

Ahhh, I Love it Here !

 

http://cdn9.lbstatic.nu/files/looks/large/2015/09/23/4682936_collage_20150923173026898_20150923173224624.jpg?1443044739

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Live in nyc, in uptown manhattan. Its quite nice as I don't live in the heart of the craziness plus its just a 20-30 minute train ride to gay gayborhoods such as chelsea/hells kitchen,west village. Plus the rent is more inexpensive living a bit more uptown but not my much :( :p

I can't wait till its summer here so that I can go outside and frolic in my short shorts and tank top and parade the streets looking for ahem gentlemen :p ;)

 

 

Well let me know what street corner you'll be on cause i have an unlimited Metrocard....

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Wilton Manors..."The Island City" not to be confused with "The Island that is Palm Beach" ;)

 

It's where all the old queens go who can't afford the "Big Apple" and can't handle the winters north of the 'Mason Dixie Line'....

 

http://wilton-manors-homes-for-sale.com/images/Gay-Wilton-Manors.jpg

 

http://www.trbimg.com/img-52e91d1a/turbine/sfl-wilton-manors-stonewall-decision-20140129-001/2048/2048x1288

Edited by bigvalboy
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  • 5 years later...

In Chicago, our gay neighborhood used to be called Boystown - a mile and a half stretch of gay bars, restaurants, shops, a bathhouse, sex shows, and cute boutiques.  It is lined with rainbow pillars all up and down the street, and exhibits plaques honoring famous gay Chicago residents.  But it is changing.  Last month the official name was changed from "Boystown" to North Halsted Merchant's Association in deference to the "Boy" connotation (but most everyone still calls it Boystown).  In addition, many of the bars and shops have closed - some due to the Covid pandemic but some of those closings have occurred before Covid.  I am hoping that when things get back to normal, some of those empty storefronts will be filled.

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1 hour ago, Cock Eyed Optimist said:

In Chicago, our gay neighborhood used to be called Boystown - a mile and a half stretch of gay bars, restaurants, shops, a bathhouse, sex shows, and cute boutiques.  It is lined with rainbow pillars all up and down the street, and exhibits plaques honoring famous gay Chicago residents.  But it is changing.  Last month the official name was changed from "Boystown" to North Halsted Merchant's Association in deference to the "Boy" connotation (but most everyone still calls it Boystown).  In addition, many of the bars and shops have closed - some due to the Covid pandemic but some of those closings have occurred before Covid.  I am hoping that when things get back to normal, some of those empty storefronts will be filled.

The very last trip I took before the pandemic was to Chicago and I got to check out a lot of the Boystown area including Steamworks and a divey bar that had strippers. It was a great time...hopefully it will rebound.

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1 hour ago, Cock Eyed Optimist said:

In Chicago, our gay neighborhood used to be called Boystown - a mile and a half stretch of gay bars, restaurants, shops, a bathhouse, sex shows, and cute boutiques.  It is lined with rainbow pillars all up and down the street, and exhibits plaques honoring famous gay Chicago residents.  But it is changing.  Last month the official name was changed from "Boystown" to North Halsted Merchant's Association in deference to the "Boy" connotation (but most everyone still calls it Boystown).  In addition, many of the bars and shops have closed - some due to the Covid pandemic but some of those closings have occurred before Covid.  I am hoping that when things get back to normal, some of those empty storefronts will be filled.

Although I do not live in a gay neighborhood or a city that is full of the gay vibe, I can relate to the above in conjunction with two formerly gayborhoods in San Francisco: Polk Street and The Castro.  The latter still has a good gay component although with a heavy change; the former has been defunct for a great number of years now, which is sad, for I loved the Polk Street area and all that it formerly offered.

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There is no residential gayborhood per se here in Palm Springs that I am aware of; I'm not sure there is even a straight one. The exclusively gay commercial neighborhood downtown is relatively small, because there are openly gay businesses everywhere in town.

I have never lived in a real gayborhood, because Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen were not noticeably gay when we lived in them many years ago (I guess we set the tone).

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28 minutes ago, Charlie said:

There is no residential gayborhood per se here in Palm Springs that I am aware of; I'm not sure there is even a straight one. The exclusively gay commercial neighborhood downtown is relatively small, because there are openly gay businesses everywhere in town.

I have never lived in a real gayborhood, because Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen were not noticeably gay when we lived in them many years ago (I guess we set the tone).

I never understood why people live in Palm Springs rather than Rancho Mirage where my friend @Kenny lives. Is Rancho Mirage more expensive?

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As far as I can tell, gay people live all over the Coachella Valley and the adjacent Morongo Basin to the north, alongside Joshua Tree NP.  The various communities skew along socio-economic and lifestyle lines.   Thus, working class Spanish speakers are everywhere but more concentrated in Indio than La Quinta perhaps.  Gays likewise.  Your upscale gay golfers more likely to be found in Palm Desert than Desert Hot Springs, but the reverse for your gay bikers.  Something for everyone.  Except for snow lovers.  But even they have choices.  Idyllwild, Big Bear, Arrowhead.  That would be your Log Cabin types.    😜 

Edited by BgMstr4u
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1 hour ago, BgMstr4u said:

As far as I can tell, gay people live all over the Coachella Valley and the adjacent Morongo Basin to the north, alongside Joshua Tree NP.  The various communities skew along socio-economic and lifestyle lines.   Thus, working class Spanish speakers are everywhere but more concentrated in Indio than La Quinta perhaps.  Gays likewise.  Your upscale gay golfers more likely to be found in Palm Desert than Desert Hot Springs, but the reverse for your gay bikers.  Something for everyone.  Except for snow lovers.  But even they have choices.  Idyllwild, Big Bear, Arrowhead.  That would be your Log Cabin types.    😜 

Kenny lived next door, or down the street to major A list celebrates in Rancho Mirage. 

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2 hours ago, WilliamM said:

Kenny lived next door, or down the street to major A list celebrates in Rancho Mirage. 

And there is your answer to your question of whether Rancho Mirage is more expensive. On the whole, RM is more upscale than PS; the residents tend to be older and wealthier than those in PS proper. However, although they are separate towns, many people tend to think of RM as simply an upscale neighborhood of the larger Palm Springs metro area. Lucky, Steven Kessler and I live in three distinct towns that locals think of as rather different from one another, yet outsiders tend to lump us all together as residents of Palm Springs.

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I mourn the loss of Gayborhoods in so many cities. Boston's South End had several bars, coffee shops and gay businesses. The last bar just closed and the gentrified neighborhood is almost all straight. DC had the respectable gay Dupont Circle and the notorious area later cleared for the National's ballpark. Even the Castro is shrinking. Who could have imagined a go-fund-me to save Twin Peaks? 

I'm glad Wilton Manors endures. Someone better silence me the next time I complain about it!

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After college I got hired by a company in Minnesota and lived in South MPLS. near Lake Harriet/Lake Calhoun vicinity. 

Locals would boast of the highest per capita population of gay men anywhere!!  More than the Castro, they would say.

After a decade I transferred to the West Coast for work.  I can't tell you how much I miss Minnesotans.

😉

I trust they continue reminding about all that makes them special.

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4 hours ago, Snbrd said:

I mourn the loss of Gayborhoods in so many cities. Boston's South End had several bars, coffee shops and gay businesses. The last bar just closed and the gentrified neighborhood is almost all straight. DC had the respectable gay Dupont Circle and the notorious area later cleared for the National's ballpark. Even the Castro is shrinking. Who could have imagined a go-fund-me to save Twin Peaks? 

I'm glad Wilton Manors endures. Someone better silence me the next time I complain about it!

I've lived in two gayborhoods, NYC's West Village (in the mid-1980s) and Boston's South End (1988-2000).  Well, at least they used to be gayborhoods when I lived there.  Now they're just neighborhoods for anyone with enough $$$ to afford the eye-popping prices.

Funny enough, a straight coworker who also lived in the South End used to complain far more than I ever did about how the gayborhood was disappearing & all the straights were moving in.

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13 hours ago, Charlie said:

And there is your answer to your question of whether Rancho Mirage is more expensive. On the whole, RM is more upscale than PS; the residents tend to be older and wealthier than those in PS proper. However, although they are separate towns, many people tend to think of RM as simply an upscale neighborhood of the larger Palm Springs metro area. Lucky, Steven Kessler and I live in three distinct towns that locals think of as rather different from one another, yet outsiders tend to lump us all together as residents of Palm Springs.

So you don't live in Palm Springs?

Interesting.

Kenny is not an old guy

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21 hours ago, Charlie said:

There is no residential gayborhood per se here in Palm Springs that I am aware of; I'm not sure there is even a straight one. The exclusively gay commercial neighborhood downtown is relatively small, because there are openly gay businesses everywhere in town.

I have never lived in a real gayborhood, because Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen were not noticeably gay when we lived in them many years ago (I guess we set the tone).

You mean you wrecked the neighborhood.😃

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1 hour ago, Charlie said:

I do live in Palm Springs. Lucky and Steven Kessler do not.

As a foreigner who has only been to PS twice, I always refer to the whole area as Palm Springs. Just like I refer to Toronto as such and don't bother mentioning all the suburbs with their own city council like Mississauga, Brampton,etc.

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I lived in only one gayborhood which was Montreal's Le Village from 1998 to 2010. It was at its peak and has gone downhill since then but still is active. When I moved there I thought I would stay for the rest of my life but I didn't and have no regrets. I can visit when I want to ( altho that wasn't the case the last year and a half) and I prefer living in a small town now with its own pleasures and attractions.

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My current gayborhood is dying a horrible death.  In the 80's it was a run down ghetto with tons of crime but in the 90's it became the epicenter of the arts in town and gay men and lesbians moved in to renovate the beautiful and very affordable victorian and turn of the century homes.  There were lots of gay owned businesses, eclectic restaurants, and a vibrant culture that was untouched by the suburban masses.  It was amazing because you had so many gay neighbors and at one point there were about 10 gay bars in the neighborhood.  In the 2000's things were at their peak and it was like heaven and it was the best time of my life.  Then the landlords starting raising rents and housing skyrocketed so most of the gays moved away to the other up and coming neighborhoods and the gay bars and shops were replaced.  Then the suburbanites who fell in love with what we had created moved in.  Worse yet is when a local str8 bro bar developer came in and started opening up these college bars that drew a very homophobic crowd.

There are only two gay bars left both owned by the same family, one a restaurant/bar and the other a dance club across the street.  Recently the gay owner has said they're not gay bars, they're LGBT friendly!  College kids swarm the place at night for the cheap heavy pours and drink specials.  On weekends their drag brunch is now 90% straight women.  The media use to call the area the Short North Arts District but now they refer to it as the Short North Entertainment District!  For the past few years it just keeps getting worse and I keep getting more depressed.  Everything I loved about the neighborhood is gone.  I love my house which I've poured tons of money in and will have paid off soon so I don't plan on leaving but it's harder every year.  And Saturday night/Sunday morning there was a gunfight in the middle of the main street.  I heard every shot since it was at the end of my block and I happened to be awake and even heard one guy scream when he got hit.  Three injured including the two shooters all will survive.  

My next move was supposed to be Palm Springs.  Have been there several times and having grown up in Southern California it brings back a lot of memories.  But being single I worry about being able to afford living there in retirement without sacrificing the lifestyle I've become accustomed to.

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On 7/19/2021 at 10:14 AM, Cock Eyed Optimist said:

In Chicago, our gay neighborhood used to be called Boystown - a mile and a half stretch of gay bars, restaurants, shops, a bathhouse, sex shows, and cute boutiques.  It is lined with rainbow pillars all up and down the street, and exhibits plaques honoring famous gay Chicago residents.  But it is changing.  Last month the official name was changed from "Boystown" to North Halsted Merchant's Association in deference to the "Boy" connotation (but most everyone still calls it Boystown).  In addition, many of the bars and shops have closed - some due to the Covid pandemic but some of those closings have occurred before Covid.  I am hoping that when things get back to normal, some of those empty storefronts will be filled.

Well you can't believe how surprised I was this morning to open up the Chicago Tribune and find a front page  article, complete with pictures,  about a new gay bar opening in Chicago!  This bar called, Nobody's Darling, is in our secondary GAYborhood in Chicago, called Andersonville.  You could have pushed me over with a drink stirrer!

https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/drink/ct-food-drink-lesbian-gay-bars-evolving-queer-lgbtq-chicago-20210715-275673b33vco3fa36gg5loujri-story.html

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